


The First Night Back

by CJ_fics



Series: The Team within the Team [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2015-07-31
Packaged: 2018-04-12 07:02:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4469747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_fics/pseuds/CJ_fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity are back in Star City and ready to help the team again. Will things go smoothly? What has changed between these two?</p>
<p>Fic prompt from Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Night Back

Standing in the new “lair” – her loft – the division within the team couldn’t be more apparent, Thea observes.

On one side of the room, near the large windows, stood Diggle, Laurel and Thea. Facing them, near the bank of computers across the windows, were Oliver and Felicity. Well, Oliver was facing the rest of the team while Felicity’s attention was on the computers. From the moment they got into the loft, after hugs and hellos were exchanged, Felicity had been by the computers – and Oliver had been standing next to her.

It was just like any other night for Thea, getting ready for a night out patrolling Star City. The only difference tonight was Oliver and Felicity were back on the team. They showed up two days ago with news about H.I.V.E., and an offer to help the team out again.

An offer that the new team discussed before agreeing to.

If she was to be perfectly honest with herself, there was a lot trepidation on her end. _How would the team work with Oliver again? How about Felicity? Will there be friction?_

She knew that things were not fully resolved between Diggle and Oliver – that things between the former teammates were not close being resolved. Every time Oliver’s name was mentioned, Diggle would frown and growl. Thea thinks it’s to hide his sadness and the fact that he actually misses his former partner.

Laurel had found out about Malcolm Merlyn being the new Ra’s Al Ghul, and Oliver’s role in that. She’s livid that Oliver had basically given the man who murdered her sister an army of assassins. Very soon, Thea thinks, that anger will blow up. It was just a matter of time. 

On top of that, Laurel had reacted to news about Oliver and Felicity’s travels with rolled eyes that spoke of leftover bitterness. Thea suspects that Laurel was not completely all right with the relationship for reasons Thea didn’t know. She just hoped that it wasn’t because of some kind of torch Laurel was still carrying for Ollie.

Out of the new team, she had the least cause for trepidation. But the tension that everyone seemed to be ignoring was causing Thea some concern.

_It was just a matter of time before all of this blew up in everyone’s faces._

“All right,” Felicity announces, “I’ve been monitoring the SCPD network and channels. Looks like they suspect that there’s a Triad shipment arriving at the Starlin – err – Star City docks tonight. I still can’t get used to calling it Star City. I mean –”

“Felicity,” Oliver smiles softly beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Weren’t you part of the planning that Palmer did to call it Star City?”

“No, I was not,” Felicity insists, “I never approved of that name. Makes the city sound like fluff and –”

“Can we get back on track?” Laurel interrupts, “We know of what’s happening in the docks. We’re aware of the chatter in SCPD. Is there any information that you can tell us that we don’t already know?”

“Oh,” Felicity concedes, “I didn’t realise that – Of course, you’re ADA, so you know what goes on in the SCPD! Sorry about that.”

Beside her, Oliver frowns at Laurel. Before he could speak, Felicity continues, “But the SCPD doesn’t know any other details about the shipment. I’ve snooped around other places online. The delivery is expected to arrive at 9 pm tonight on a barge called, Albion. It’s coming from Shanghai.”

Oliver’s smile grows bigger and smugger. He directs it at Felicity, nodding at her.

Diggle, who had been silently observing the conversation, unfolds his arms from his chest, taking a step closer to where Felicity was seated with a proud smile on his face, “Good work, Felicity.”

“Thanks, John,” Felicity responds, flashing him a smile.

“We should head for the docks –” Oliver begins in a confident voice, ready to take the lead. Felicity stands up, clearing her throat and putting a hand on his upper arm. Once she has Oliver’s attention, they stare at each other.

The rest of the team look at each other, knowing that there was a silent conversation happening between the pair. Before anyone could speak up, Oliver nods and takes a step back, and Felicity speaks up, “How do we want to do this, guys? We can share the info to Detect– Captain Lance, and we look for other things to focus on tonight. Or the team can go to the docks. Or we can tell Det– Captain Lance and the team goes to the docks anyway. Or any combination of the three options. Or–”

“We should go to the docks,” Diggle says, “And inform Captain Lance and the SCPD as well. But we should head out to the docks and set ourselves up there before alerting Captain Lance. That way, we’re ready and in position.”

“Agreed,” Laurel nods, standing beside Digg in a very obvious show of solidarity, Thea thinks.

“Great!” Thea says, heading for the hidden closet where all their gear is stashed. Then she stops, “Ollie, your uniform is still in SCPD custody. What will you wear? You can use one of my bows, if you want.”

“Don’t you worry about that, Thea,” Felicity answers, “Oliver’s new uniform and gear is in the trunk of our car.”

“Should I get it then?” Oliver asks, his eyes on Diggle’s.

“I thought you retired,” Diggle challenges, “Why would you have a new uniform?”

“Yeah, did you think we would not be able to protect the city on our own?” Laurel interjects, affronted.

Thea sighs and wishes she could signal to Laurel that she wasn’t helping the situation.

Oliver shrugs and points a thumb towards Felicity, “She arranged for it. Talked to Cisco at S.T.A.R. Labs about it and all. I only found out about the new suit and the gear when we heard news that there was H.I.V.E. presence in the city.”

“And we would never let you handle H.I.V.E. by yourself, John,” Felicity adds softly.

“Thank you, Felicity,” Diggle says.

At Diggle’s refusal to address him, Oliver drops his gaze to the floor, frowning.

Felicity turns to Oliver and cups his jaw to raise his head to meet her eyes, “Maybe, get your new suit and gear from the car?”

Oliver nods and pecks Felicity’s forehead before heading for the door.

Thea smiles to herself in relief before heading to the closet where her Speedy gear was at.

_Yes, things between the team might blow up any time soon, but it looks like Felicity has a handle on it._

————-

Once Oliver was out of the loft, Felicity turns to Diggle, “John …”

“I know, I know,” Diggle approaches Felicity to put an arm on her shoulder, “I’m being a dick. I can’t help it.”

“I know,” Felicity nods, “Just – punch him, yell at him. That’s how the two of you work. Not this passive-aggressive schtick you’re pulling.”

Diggle sighs and pulls Felicity closer to him in a hug, “I know.”

“So, you knew he wouldn’t stay away?” Diggle asks after pulling away.

Felicity chuckles, “We could only take so much of domesticity. Actually, I could only take so much of it. I’ve missed this.”

“I’ve missed you,” Diggle says.

“Ditto, John,” Felicity smiles, hugging Diggle closer, “He’s missed you, too. And I know you’ve missed him as well.”

Diggle shakes his head with a resigned smile, giving Felicity another squeeze before releasing her to head for where his gear was stashed.

Laurel watches the moment between Diggle and Felicity, knowing that, while Diggle never said anything, Felicity was right. The older man had missed his partners and his old team.

A bitter part of her feels some inadequacy that she had never been able to replace Felicity Smoak in John Diggle’s heart. The more generous part of her is happy for Diggle that he had his partners back.

She wonders what Oliver and Felicity’s presence would mean for the team as she observes the younger woman who had turned her attention to the computer monitors once again.

Laurel could see that much had changed with Felicity Smoak. There was an air of ease about her now, and she definitely looked rested. There was glow in her eyes and in her face that he hadn’t seen before. There was a confidence in Felicity Smoak now – the quiet kind borne out of knowing and trusting that she was loved.

She couldn’t help but see how much that partnership, the one that has always existed between Oliver and Felicity, had been strengthened by their time away from the city. There was a _togetherness_ about them now that was hard to miss: silent conversations exchanged with looks and gestures, casual touches that spoke of deep intimacy, shared calming effects on each other, being able to gauge where the other’s head was at and responding to it, mutual protectiveness of each other.

It was everything Laurel had hoped, once upon a time, to have been able to develop with Ollie. It was everything she knew that she could never have.

Telling herself to keep her bitterness about lost opportunities and imagined past loves at bay, Laurel turns to get ready for another night of patrolling.

/end

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr: http://outoftheclosetshipper.tumblr.com/post/125533856268/the-first-night-back


End file.
